Garbage burning at Aima a routine affair

Ravinder Sood

Advertisement

Palampur, April 6

Residents of Sugar, Awarana, SSB Chowk, Neugal Park and Differpatt areas of Palampur today lodged a protest against the burning of garbage in the Aima treatment plant.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned the burning of garbage and ordered all states to impose a fine of Rs 25,000 on those who are found violating the order. However, there is no impact of the NGT order on the MC staff in the town where garbage burning has become a routine affair.

MC employees set garbage on fire daily, resulting in air pollution. Despite repeated requests by residents, no action has been initiated by the municipal authorities to address the problem which is adversely affecting human health.

Santosh Kumar, senior citizen residing near ITI College, told this correspondent that garbage dumps in the Aima plant had been emitting smoke for the past one week, increasing respiratory ailments. He had called up corporation officials time and again, but no steps had been taken to check the menace.

A paediatrician said there was also an increase in the cases of respiratory problems among children because of air pollution. No MC official was available for comments.